Latch position indicator system and method

Abstract

Latch position indicator systems remotely determine whether a latch assembly is latched or unlatched. The latch assembly may be a single latch assembly or a dual latch assembly. An oilfield device may be positioned with the latch assembly. Non-contact (position), contact (on/off and/or position) and hydraulic (flowmeter), both direct and indirect, embodiments include fluid measurement systems, an electrical switch system, a mechanical valve system, and proximity sensor systems.

We claim: 
     
       1. An apparatus, comprising:
 a housing; 
 an oilfield device adapted to be received with said housing; 
 a latch assembly positioned with said housing, comprising:
 a retainer member movable between an unlatched position and a latched position, the retainer member latched with the oilfield device in the latched position; 
 a piston movable between a first position and a second position, the piston moving the retainer member to the latched position when the piston is in the first position and the piston allowing the retainer member to move to the unlatched position when the piston is in the second position; and 
 
 a non-contact latch position indicator sensor positioned with the latch assembly to transmit a signal of the position of the retainer member to a remote location. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the latch position indicator sensor comprises:
 a first sensor means for indicating the position of the retainer member. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the latch position indicator sensor comprises:
 a second sensor means for indicating the position of the retainer member. 
 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said first sensor means directly measures the position of the retainer member. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said first sensor means is attached with the housing. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the latch position indicator sensor comprises:
 a first fluid means for indicating the position of the retainer member. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said latch position indicator sensor directly measures the position of the retainer member. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said latch position indicator sensor indirectly measures the position of the retainer member. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the oilfield device is a rotatable control device having an inner member configured to be rotatable relative to an outer member, one of said members having a seal. 
     
     
       10. A system for determining whether an oilfield device is latched with a housing, comprising:
 a latch assembly positioned with the housing and latchable to the oilfield device, comprising:
 a retainer member movable between an unlatched position and a latched position, the retainer member latched with the oilfield device in the latched position; 
 a piston moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position, the piston moving the retainer member to the latched position and the piston allowing the retainer member to move to the unlatched position; and 
 
 a latch position indicator sensor positioned with the latch assembly to transmit a signal of the position of the retainer member. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10  wherein the latch assembly is remotely actuatable to latch the oilfield device with the housing, and wherein said latch position indicator sensor transmits a signal indicating that said piston is in the latched position. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 10 , wherein said piston having an inclined surface so that said latch position indicator sensor determines the movement of said piston by measuring the distances from said sensor to said inclined surface. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 10 , wherein said sensor is an inductive sensor. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 10 , wherein said latch position indicator sensor determines the position of said retainer member by measuring the distance from said sensor to said retainer member. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein said sensor is an inductive sensor. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the oilfield device is a rotatable control device having an inner member configured to be rotatable relative to an outer member, one of said members having a seal. 
     
     
       17. A system for indicating the position of a retainer member used to latch an oilfield device with a housing, comprising:
 the retainer member is configured to be extendable from the housing to latch with the oilfield device; and configured to be removably disposed with and moveable relative to the housing 
 the retainer member moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position; and 
 a latch position indicator sensor to directly detect the retainer member and to transmit to a remote location that the oilfield device is latched with the housing. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17  wherein the retainer member is remotely actuatable to latch the oilfield device with the housing, and wherein said latch position indicator sensor transmits a signal whether the oilfield device is latched with the housing. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the oilfield device is a rotatable control device having an inner member configured to be rotatable relative to an outer member, one of said members having a seal. 
     
     
       20. An apparatus adapted for use with a tubular, comprising:
 a rotating control device having an inner member rotatable relative to an outer member, one of the members having a seal to seal with the tubular, 
 a housing; 
 a latch assembly positioned with the housing and latchable to the rotating control device; 
 means for indicating the position of the latch assembly; and 
 means for transmitting a signal of the indicated position of the latch assembly to a remote location. 
 
     
     
       21. A method for determining whether an oilfield device is latched with a latch assembly, comprising the steps of:
 positioning a latch assembly with a housing; 
 moving an oilfield device with said latch assembly; 
 extending a retainer member of said latch assembly from the housing to the oilfield device; 
 latching the oilfield device with the retainer member of said latch assembly from a remote location; 
 sensing directly a movement of the retainer member of said latch assembly using a latch position indicator sensor configured to generate a signal; and 
 transmitting signal of the movement of said latch assembly to a remote location. 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of:
 determining the change of the signal from said sensor. 
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the oilfield device is a rotatable control device having an inner member configured to be rotatable relative to an outer member, one of said members having a seal. 
     
     
       24. An apparatus, comprising:
 a latch assembly remotely controlled for latching an oilfield device, comprising:
 a retainer member movable between an unlatched position and a latched position; and 
 a non-contact latch position indicator sensor; 
 
 a hydraulic fluid line operatively connected to the latch assembly for communicating hydraulic fluid with the latch assembly; and 
 a meter coupled to the hydraulic fluid line to measure a fluid value of the hydraulic fluid. 
 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 a comparator to compare said fluid value to a predetermined fluid value. 
 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 a second fluid line operatively connected to the latch assembly for moving a fluid from the latch assembly; 
 a second meter measuring a fluid value for said fluid moved from the latch assembly; and 
 a comparator to compare the measured fluid values from said first meter and said second meter. 
 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the latch assembly further comprising:
 a first piston; and 
 a second piston positioned with the first piston; 
 wherein moving the second piston urges said first piston to the unlatched position of the first piston. 
 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 a second sensor positioned with the latch assembly to indicate whether the oilfield device is latched with the retainer member. 
 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 said sensor positioned with said second piston to indicate whether the second piston has urged said first piston to the unlatched position of the first piston. 
 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein said fluid value is a fluid volume value. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of  claim 24 , where said fluid value is a fluid pressure value. 
     
     
       32. The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein said fluid value is a fluid flow rate value. 
     
     
       33. A method for use with a latch assembly, comprising the steps of:
 delivering a fluid from a hydraulic system to a first side of a piston for moving the piston from a first position to a second position; 
 measuring a fluid value delivered to the first side of the piston to produce a measured fluid value; 
 comparing the measured fluid value to a second fluid value; 
 sensing the position of the latch assembly with a sensor attached with the latch assembly; 
 transmitting a signal of the position of the latch assembly to a remote location; and 
 comparing the transmitted signal to the measured fluid value to provide information of the hydraulic system.